REDUCE COMPILE TIMES ON THE AMIGA

By  John Reed. General Dynamics Engineer.
Reprinted from COMM'PUTOY CULT Newsletter, 
San Diego Commodore Users Group.

    The AMIGA computer is notoriously slow in compiling and 
linking "C" programs.  The simple steps presented in this article 
can greatly reduce the compile and link times for Lattice "C" 
programs.
     The basic idea to reduce compile and link times is to use the 
RAM disk device.  The AMIGA has implemented its RAM disk as a 
device, and it has an interface identical to that for a floppy 
disk drive.  What distinguishes the AMIGA RAM disk from other RAM 
disks is its ability to allocate memory on the fly.  Most other 
RAM disks must first be partitioned for a specific amount of 
memory.  The AMIGA simply allocates memory as needed.  Very nice 
and very flexible.
     The following example shows how using the RAM disk greatly 
reduces the compile and link times for a "C" program.  The 
particular program that is used as an example is called "avail.c" 
and is a program that is included with the Lattice compiler.
     Note that this example assumes a two-drive system: volume 
df0: contains the workbench disk and volume df1: contains the 
Lattice compiler disk.
    Command file used to compile and link (filename is "cc"):

  .Key file
  assign lib:df1:lib
  date
  1cl -idfl:include/ [file]
      if not exists "[file].q"
  quit 20
  endif
  1c2 [file]
  alink lib:1startup.obj+[file].o to [file] library lib:1c.lib+
  amiga.lib
  date

    The following setups show the improvements in compile times 
when using a RAM disk.

               TRIAL # 1
    "cc", and "avail.c" both located on floppy (df1:examples)
  from directory df1:examples issue the command:
    execute cc avail
  time to compile and link -- 4 minutes, 32 seconds

               TRIAL # 2
  copy "cc" and "avail.c" the the RAM disk (ram:)
  change to directory ram: and issue 2 commands:
    makedir t   (needed by "execute" command)
    execute cc avail 
 time to compile and link -- 3 minutes, 2 seconds

               TRIAL # 3
   copy the following files to the ram disk:
    lib:startup.obj, lib:1c.lib, lib:amiga.lib
  change line #2 of the command file "cc" to:
    assign lib: ram:
  give command:
    execute cc avail
  time to compile and link -- 2 minutes, 27 seconds

     In short, the more files that are on the RAM disk, the 
shorter the compile and link times.  One day in the near future, 
someone is going to come out with a multi-megabyte RAM board for 
the AMIGA.  This will allow both the compiler and linker to be 
copied to the RAM disk, and compile times will be reduced even 
further.  Where ARE those boards, anyway???
     Address correspondence to:  John Reed, 8038 Hummingbird Lane, 
     San Diego, CA 92123.